IllustrationTHE DRIVER HEARD A PING NOISE, NOT VERY LOUD AND SUBSEQUENTLY A SMALL STAR LIKE MARK ON THE WINDSHIELD APPEARED, WITHIN A COUPLE HOURS LONG FREEFORM CRACK LINES ON THE WINDSHIELD HAD EMANATED FROM THAT SMALL STAR LIKE PING EARLIER ON, THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT, THE WINSHIELD HAD TO BE REPLACED. NLM
1998 Mercedes Benz 280
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 280 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 0 of 3 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Tires. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
3 reportsALL 4 TIRES NEED TO BE REPLACED EVEN BEFORE 20,000 MILES OR THE CAR 2 YRS OLD. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 205/60 15 )
GAS GAUGE SENSOR FAILED. YH
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.